As Fewer Fly, Airline Delays Nosedive

American Eagle first to be fined under new policy

(NEWSER) - American Eagle Airlines has been hit with the first fine issued under new rules prohibiting airlines from keeping passengers stuck in planes on the tarmac for more than three hours. The regional carrier was fined $900,000 for keeping a total 608 passengers on board 15 different flights on the tarmac for too long at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in May, MarketWatch reports. The passengers had already received an average of $250 each in compensation from the airline. More»

(NEWSER) - With summer vacations increasing your chances of an extended stay at an airport, Travel + Leisure offers its annual list of airports likely to leave you grounded. The good news? Airports are getting better; even this year’s “winner” improved its delays by 3%. The list:

1. Newark: That 3% boost wasn't enough; it’s the only airport to delay 30% of its flights.

Carriers add up to 50% to flight times as congestion adds to ground, air delays

(NEWSER) - Air travel is the slowest it's been in the past 20 years, thanks to increased congestion both on the runway and in the air. A flight from Las Vegas to New York took 4 hours, 37 minutes in 1988, but that same route now requires over 6 hours, reports USA Today. And don't expect things to improve any time soon. More»

With skies safe, officials turn their attention to 'surface threats' on runways

(NEWSER) - "America's skies are the safest they have ever been," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told reporters this week, and the stats back him up: Deaths from accidents in US commercial aviation have plummeted over the last 15 years, with none registered at all in 2011. Aviation officials say they are now turning their attention toward somewhere potentially much deadlier than the skies for commercial aircraft: the ground, and specifically, the runway. More»

Orbitz issues its annual ranking

(NEWSER) - The City of Angels is expected to have quite the hellish airport this Thanksgiving holiday. According to an annual ranking by Orbitz, LAX will top Chicago's O'Hare International Airport as the nation's busiest this holiday weekend, from Nov. 23 to Nov. 27. Filling out the top five (in order) are Orlando International, San Francisco International, and Boston's Logan International airports. Orbitz calculates its ranking by adding up tickets sales for the country's 50 major airports, the Los Angeles Times reports. More»